Maltrato infantil: Consecuencias neurofisiológicas y neuropsicológicas
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2015-07-27
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Jaén: Universidad de Jaén
Resumen
El maltrato infantil puede tener consecuencias a nivel cerebral. El cerebro está en continuo desarrollo, existiendo una etapa especialmente vulnerable a la influencia de factores externos al individuo, que coincide con la infancia. Cuando se produce un evento traumático durante la infancia, el cerebro puede sufrir alteraciones que pueden llegar a ser incluso irreversibles. En el caso de personas que han sufrido maltrato infantil, se han observado, por una parte, alteraciones neuroendocrinas, relacionadas con el eje hipotálamo-hipófisis-adrenal y con casi todos los principales sistemas de neurotransmisión (serotoninérgico, dopaminérgico y glutamaérgico). También se ha detectado alteraciones a nivel del sistema inmune. Desde un punto de vista estructural, se encuentra una reducción volumétrica en diversas estructuras cerebrales (hipocampo, la amígdala, el cerebelo, el cuerpo calloso y la corteza cerebral), que se relaciona con determinada sintomatología cognitiva (afectación de los sistemas atencional y mnésico, funciones ejecutivas, la percepción, el lenguaje y la emoción) y psicológica (relación con diversas patologías psicológicas como depresión, trastorno por estrés-postraumático, conducta antisocial, abuso de sustancias, etc.). En definitiva, es absolutamente necesario luchar para erradicar la violencia contra los infantes y seguir investigando para poder prevenir las consecuencias de la misma, y mejorar la vida de las personas que la han sufrido.
Child abuse can have consequences in the brain. The brain is constantly evolving, having an especially vulnerable to the influence of external factors on the individual, which coincides with the childhood stage. When a traumatic event occurs during childhood, the brain can suffer alterations that may even be irreversible. For people who have suffered child abuse, have been observed on the one hand,neuroendocrine abnormalities related to the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and with almost all major neurotransmitter systems (serotonin, dopamine and glutamatergic). We also detected abnormalities in the immune system. From a structural point of view, is a volumetric reduction in various brain structures (hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum, the corpus callosum and cerebral cortex), which relates to certain cognitive symptoms (impairment of attentional and mnemonic systems, executive functions, perception, language and emotion) and psychological (regarding various psychological disorders such as depression, post-traumatic-stress disorder, antisocial behavior, substance abuse, etc.). Ultimately, it is absolutely necessary fight to eradicate violence against infants and further research to prevent the consequences of it, and improve the lives of people who have suffered.
Child abuse can have consequences in the brain. The brain is constantly evolving, having an especially vulnerable to the influence of external factors on the individual, which coincides with the childhood stage. When a traumatic event occurs during childhood, the brain can suffer alterations that may even be irreversible. For people who have suffered child abuse, have been observed on the one hand,neuroendocrine abnormalities related to the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and with almost all major neurotransmitter systems (serotonin, dopamine and glutamatergic). We also detected abnormalities in the immune system. From a structural point of view, is a volumetric reduction in various brain structures (hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum, the corpus callosum and cerebral cortex), which relates to certain cognitive symptoms (impairment of attentional and mnemonic systems, executive functions, perception, language and emotion) and psychological (regarding various psychological disorders such as depression, post-traumatic-stress disorder, antisocial behavior, substance abuse, etc.). Ultimately, it is absolutely necessary fight to eradicate violence against infants and further research to prevent the consequences of it, and improve the lives of people who have suffered.